Chatterless photo album page

ABSTRACT

A photographic album page of the type comprising a relatively opaque center lamina having exposed adhesively coated surfaces, and a pair of transparent overlay members adapted to be selectively adhered thereto on the inner surface, photographic prints being positionable therebetween to be retained by such adherence. The adhesive is applied to the surfaces in such a manner as to be discontinuous in circular areas of critical sizes and interstitial distance, whereby when the transparent overlay is peeled, no chattering occurs.

United States Patent 1 Holson 1March 13, 1973 I 1 CHATTERLESS PHOTO ALBUM PAGE [75] Inventor: Sheldon Holson, Norwalk, Conn.

[73] Assignee: The

Conn.

[22] Filed: Jan. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 106,880

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 824,171, May 13,

IIoIson Company, Wilton,

1969, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. ..40/l04.l8, 40/158 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B42i 5/00 [58] Field of Search ..40/158 R, 104.18, 104.19

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,860 9/1950 Budden 281/21 R 3,381,402 5/1968 Ohfuji ..40/158 R 3,386,199 6/1968 Nagatsuka ..40/158 R 3,532,412 10/1970 Miller ..40/l58 R 3,581,423 6/1971 Mascolo ..40/l58 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 395,310 7/1933 GreatBritain ..40/l04.18 766,656 9/1967 Canada ..40/l04.18

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Att0rney-Charles E. Temko [57] ABSTRACT A photographic album page of the type comprising a relatively opaque center lamina having exposed adhesively coated surfaces, and a pair of transparent overlay members adapted to be selectively adhered thereto on the inner surface, photographic prints being positionable therebetween to be retained by such adherence. The adhesive is applied to the surfaces in such a manner as to be discontinuous in circular areas of critical sizes and interstitial distance, whereby when the transparent overlay is peeled, no chattering occurs.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBMAM 3:975

(PRIOR ART) (PRIOR ART) CHATTERLESS PHOTO ALBUM PAGE This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No..824,l7l, filed May 13, 1969, now abandoned, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

This invention relates generally to the field of composite photographic album pages of the type including a central relatively opaque lamina, the exposed surfaces of which are coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a pair of transparent overlays adapted to be selectively adhered thereto, whereby planar photographic prints may be sandwiched therebetween to be retained in desired position by engagement of the overlay, irrespective of the presence of an adhering action upon the rear surface of the photographic print. Album pages of this type are well known in the art, and the invention lies in specific constructional details affording ease of use, as well as convenience in manufacture.

In the application of an adhesive to the above mentioned surfaces of the opaque central member, it has been found undesirable to completely cover the surface with such adhesive, owing to the difficulty of peeling the transparent overlay, and in addition, difficulty has been found in the even coating of a pressure sensitive adhesive in this manner. More commonly, it is customary to either calender the paper from which the central lamina is made, an expensive operation, or to apply the adhesive by passing the central lamina through a pair of rollers having parallel peripheral grooves therein which dispense adhesive in straight lines on the coated surface. Where the pages are formed from con tinuous paper webbing, the result will be lines of adhesive running from the top to the bottom of the page when the page has been assembled into an album. Thus, when a user attempts to pull the transparent overlay free for the insertion or removal of prints, the motion will be a sidewise one (the overlay is normally anchored at a free end of the page), which results in a chattering action as lines of adhesion part and the page is freed until the next adhesive line is brought under tension. Where the adhesive is relatively strong, this can result in an undesirable stretching of the material (usually thin vinyl or acetate) in an uneven manner, whereby it is impossible to again adhere the overlay in a completely planar manner. Applying the adhesive in lines running perpendicular to the free end of the page does not permit fabrication of the page from web stock, and consequently, this manner of application is not economically feasible.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved album page of the type described, in which the above mentioned disadvantage has been substantially eliminated.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved photographic album page of the class described in which the exposed surfaces of the centrally disposed lamina have been adhesively coated in a discontinuous fashion, and in which the overlay is pulled with respect thereto to disengage the adhesion existing therebetween, a chattering action will not occur.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved album page of the class described, possessed of the above advantages, in which the cost of fabrication may be of a reasonably low order, directly comparable with existing prior art constructions,

thereby permitting consequent wide sale, distribution and use to the purchasing public.

These objects and feature, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more clearly appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing a photographic album page made in accordance with prior art techniques.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective showing the peeling of the transparent overlay from the construction shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the manufacture of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective, corresponding to that shown in FIG. 2, but employing the embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view seen from the plane 5-5 in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in the drawing, there is illustrated an album page made in accordance with techniques employed in the prior art. As presently practiced, the individual pages, generally indicated by reference character 10, may be formed as part of a continuous web 11, and subsequently severed along transverse lines 12. Each page is of planar rectangular configuration, and is bounded by an inner edge 13, an outer edge 14, as well as upper and lower edges 15 and 16, respectively. The page includes a centrally disposed lamina 17 of paper or similar material and a pair of transparent overlays, one of which is indicated by reference character 18. The exposed surfaces 19 include a marginal area 20 having holes 21 for mounting within an album as an individual page, a hinge area 22, and a print mounting area 23 having lines of applied pressure sensitive adhesive 24 thereupon. Owing to difficulties in application of the adhesive, it has been most convenient to do the operation as a roller coating, in which the adhesive is applied in lines the axis of which is perpendicular to the upper and lower edges of the finished page. The adhesive applying roller (not shown) is provided with corresponding arcuate grooves which are filled with adhesive by immersion below the surface thereof or from another roller, and doctor blade means wipes off excess adhesive not remaining within the arcuate grooves prior to application of the adhesive on the surface of the lamina. While it is possible to provide longitudinal grooves in the adhesive applying roller, the use of such a roller in conjunction with a doctor blade will inevitably cause chattering and smearing of the adhesive, so that relatively uniform coating upon the surfaces 19 is all but impossible.

Referring to FIG. 2, while otherwise satisfactory, the placing of the adhesive in the manner shown in FIG. 1 causes difficulties when an attempt to remove the overlay 25 is made. The overlay is normally fixed at the outer edge 14, and must be peeled from the side adjacent the hinge area 22 with a sidewise motion. At some point, the force employed must be directly perpendicular to the axis of the lines of adhesive, with the result that they progressively release the overlay to a limited degree defined by the distance between adjacent parallel lines of adhesive causing a chattering noise and accompanying erratic disengagement. This is not only disconcerting to the user, but where considerable force is being used, the stretch imparted to the overlay which is often of expandable vinyl or thin acetate, is uneven, being concentrated principally in the area where the overlay is manually grasped, to an extent where a permanent distortion is imparted to the overlay. After the positioning of photographic print therebeneath, and the return of the overlay to its initial position, it is impossible to completely smooth the now distorted overlay to lie in coplanar juxtaposition with the adhesively coated surface of the lamina 17 resulting in an unacceptable appearance.

For reasons also incident to the manufacture of the sheets as a continuous web, it is not feasible to anchor the fixed edge of the overlay at the upper edge thereof, instead of the side edge 14, and thus, the free side edge 18 of the overlay sheet will be grasped for the separating operation with the attendant, above described result.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is illustrated an embodiment of the present invention, generally indicated by reference character 30, having a central lamina 31, a transparent overlay 32 as well as adhesive surfaces 33. The adhesive area 34 is formed as staggered lines, as at 35, 36 and 37 of discontinuous adhesive areas, most conveniently circular dots. These dots may be arranged in rows parallel to the upper and lower edges of the sheet, but owing to the presence of uncoated areas separating the coated areas along such lines, there will be no interference with a doctor blade removing excess adhesive from the adhesive applying roller applying the adhesive dots. As best seen in FIG. 4, since the rows, while consisting of substantially uniformly spaced adhesive areas, are in staggered relation with respect to each other, there is no equivalent of an adhesive vertically disposed line parallel to the side edges of the page, and the above described chattering operation does not occur. Instead, each adhesive dot releases independently of the others-and in non-simultaneous manner, so that the effect of peeling free the overlay is the same as if the sheet were uniformly coated. As the overlay sheet is still anchored at the outer edge thereof, at no time during the pulling free of the overlay sheet does the line of action run parallel to the upper and lower edges, so that no possible chattering action can occur.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be observed that the adhesive may be applied as in the prior art, the adhesive applying device 40 including a conveyor belt (not shown) disposed between side guides 42 and 43. The web 44 is advanced to the adhesive applying roller 45, the outer surface 46 of which is provided with recessed adhesive retaining depressions each of which are completely bounded by the original surface of the roller, so that contact by the doctor blade 47 causes no chattering or spreading of excess adhesive.

A degree of criticality with respect to the size of the circular dots and the intersticial distance therebetween exists. The recessed areas in the roller 46 are most conveniently formed by drilling to a limited depth, the end configuration of the drill normally forming a cupshaped recess. Using a conventional rubber-based adhesive in a volatile carrier of a type known in the art, I have found that the minimum size of dot is one thirty-second inch (0.03125 inch) and the maximum size is three-sixteenths inch (0.1875 inch). A dot size smaller than one thirty-second inch is incapable of accepting adhesive unless an excessive amount of volatile carrier is employed, resulting in the deposit of an inadequate amount of adhesive over the entire area of the page. On the other hand, a dot size larger than three-sixteenths inch tends to cause application of the adhesive in unclearly disposed blobs, unless the adhesive is excessively thick.

Interstitial horizontal distance between adjacent dots varies between one sixty-fourth inch (0.0156 inch) and one-fourth inch (0.250 inch). Closer than one sixtyfourth inch tends to cause the adhesive to behave as if it were disposed in a straight line, particularly when the dot size is correspondingly small. Larger than onefourth inch encourages a chattering action from dot to dot, this action occurring when the direction of peeling is perpendicular to a line formed by any two adjacent dots.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the vertical spacing of staggered rows may vary over greater limits, i.e. preferably over a range of approximately one-eighth inch minimum to a maximum of one-half inch, each succeeding horizontal line being evenly staggered, that is to say in which the dots of each succeeding line lie perpendicular to a line bisecting a horizontal line connecting two adjacent dots immediately thereabove, and the measurement is made along this line to the center of the below positioned staggered dot. The choice of distance will, of course, depend upon dot size, and in no case, can the distance between dots in two adjacent horizontal rows in any direction be allowed to be closer than an interstitial distance of one thirty-second inch. When a distance of as much as one-half inch is employed, the dot size employed is preferably at a maximum of three-sixteenths inch.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Iclaim:

1. In a photographic album page including a relatively opaque lamina having an adhesively coated exposed planar surface and a relatively transparent overlay selectively adhered to said adhesively coated surface to retain a photographic print therebetween, said page being of substantially rectangular planar configuration, and having upper, lower and first and second side edges, the improvement comprising: said adhesively coated surface having a plurality of substantially disconnected adhesive-bearing areas so positioned upon said lamina as to avoid the formation of a continuous straight line passing through the center of adjacent adhesive areas further than the distance between two said areas in a direction other than parallel to said upper and lower edges, said areas being of circular configuration, and of diameter ranging from approximately 0.03125 inch to 0.1875 inch, and being positioned to have an interstitial distance in a direction parallel to said upper and lower edges ranging from 0.0156 inch to 0.250 inch, said adjacent rows having sufficient overlap so that the areas provide uniform release as the overlay is lifted.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, in which said areas are arranged in staggered rows parallel to said upper and lower edges spaced such that the in- 5 terstitial distance between areas in adjacent rows is at least 0.0156 inches. 

1. In a photographic album page including a relatively opaque lamina having an adhesively coated exposed planar surface and a relatively transparent overlay selectively adhered to said adhesively coated surface to retain a photographic print therebetween, said page being of substantially rectangular planar configuration, and having upper, lower and first and second side edges, the improvement comprising: said adhesively coated surface having a plurality of substantially disconnected adhesive-bearing areas so positioned upon said lamina as to avoid the formation of a continuous straight line passing through the center of adjacent adhesive areas further than the distance between two said areas in a direction other than parallel to said upper and lower edges, said areas being of circular configuration, and of diameter ranging from approximately 0.03125 inch to 0.1875 inch, and being positioned to have an interstitial distance in a direction parallel to said upper and lower edges ranging from 0.0156 inch to 0.250 inch, said adjacent rows having sufficient overlap so that the areas provide uniform release as the overlay is lifted.
 1. In a photographic album page including a relatively opaque lamina having an adhesively coated exposed planar surface and a relatively transparent overlay selectively adhered to said adhesively coated surface to retain a photographic print therebetween, said page being of substantially rectangular planar configuration, and having upper, lower and first and second side edges, the improvement comprising: said adhesively coated surface having a plurality of substantially disconnected adhesive-bearing areas so positioned upon said lamina as to avoid the formation of a continuous straight line passing through the center of adjacent adhesive areas further than the distance between two said areas in a direction other than parallel to said upper and lower edges, said areas being of circular configuration, and of diameter ranging from approximately 0.03125 inch to 0.1875 inch, and being positioned to have an interstitial distance in a direction parallel to said upper and lower edges ranging from 0.0156 inch to 0.250 inch, said adjacent rows having sufficient overlap so that the areas provide uniform release as the overlay is lifted. 